Sambhajinagar residents demand waiver in property tax similar to Mumbai

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Citizen groups in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have demanded relief similar to the one available in Mumbai, where local residents get property tax waiver up to 700 square feet.Rajendra Datey Patil, representing the ‘People's Forum for Social Cause,' has submitted a memorandum to the state govt seeking property tax waiver for houses up to 1,000 square feet in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar."While the proposed waiver may impact the municipal corporation's revenue, other funding avenues can be explored to bridge the gap. We expect the local municipal corporation to pass a resolution for this waiver and submit it to the state govt for approval," Patil said.Local resident Navin Pathak argued that the state govt should not differentiate between metropolitan areas when offering tax relief. "Both Mumbai and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar municipal corporations are ruled by the BJP. If residents of one city receive a waiver, those in another should be entitled to the same relief," he noted.The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has collected Rs157.7 crore in property tax for the 2024-25 fiscal year, with recovery expected to rise further. Mayor Sameer Rajurkar could not be reached for comments regarding the demands.However, a senior official from the CSMC's tax department, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted the vast financial disparity between the two cities."There is no comparison between the revenue generation of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and CSMC. The BMC is one of the wealthiest civic bodies in Asia with a massive budget exceeding 74,000 crore. In contrast, the CSMC is cash-strapped, and it would not be financially prudent to abandon property tax collections at this stage," an official said.